Days twenty-eight of MerMay prompt month.

Well... I didn't get it all done in the month. Bummer.

Here is some Ferbella kissy kissy to make up for it.

Sink or Swim - Isabella

He fixed her dock! She couldn't believe this! She latched onto him, giving him a tight hug before reaching up and pressing a smacking kiss onto his cheek. "This is amazing!" she cried, hurrying down the wooden planks. She didn't notice Ferb behind her, eyes wide as he gaped at her. He shook himself and followed her at a more sedate pace.

Isabella bounced on the new boards, laughing happily. She spun a few times, not having to worry about falling through the gap made by the broken boards because they were gone! As she slowed to a stop, she realized Ferb had stepped up behind her and pulled him into another hug.

"When did you do this?" she asked, stepping back to look into his eyes.

Ferb grinned and raised an eyebrow in response and she pouted, dropping her arms from his shoulders and putting them on her hips.

"Are you really going to make me guess?" she asked.

He shook his head slightly, but he still didn't answer. Instead, he kicked off his shoes and then hung her beach bag on a hook that he had placed on a post that hadn't been there before! Then he sat down at the end, patting the spot next to him. Isabella made a face at him, but followed his lead by removing her shoes. She settled down, close enough their legs would brush as they both kicked in the water.

It was nice sitting there with Ferb. Isabella felt like he especially could understand her connection with the water better than most people. Though… maybe he didn't really feel the same as she did… There were times where he would tense up, most often when a rogue wave would come along to wash their feet. But, he didn't say anything, and when he wasn't touching the water, he seemed almost as at peace as she did.

"What do you like most about this place?" he asked her, his voice soft and showing a genuine curiosity.

Isabella hummed, thinking of the many things she could say, but trying to narrow it down. "I guess… I like how peaceful and quiet it is."

Almost on cue, a ship's horn blew nearby and they both winced at the sound.

Ferb raised an eyebrow at her—a playful expression. "Yeah… it's definitely quiet," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and pushed him. "Whatever. Maybe it's not really quiet. But sometimes those sounds just… fade away and the only thing I can hear is the waves."

Ferb's eyes grew thoughtful and he studied her carefully. "That's really interesting," he muttered softly, never looking away.

"Really," she said, half scoffing. "It's pretty weird if you think about it."

He repositioned himself, somehow sitting even closer to her than before, and he gently grasped her hand. His thumb grazed the top of hers. "No. It's not weird at all." His eyes matched the color of the ocean almost perfectly as they gazed seriously into her own.

For the first time, she felt wholly accepted. Only her parents really knew how much she came here—her friends knew she liked the beach, but the fact that she went nearly daily was lost on them. And even her parents didn't fully understand the… craving she felt. How the sea practically reached out desperately for her…

As if he could read her mind, Ferb tilted his head. "You said once that it felt like something was out there, calling to you…"

Her eyes widened and she looked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could still see him watching her, studying her intently. She didn't say anything, and neither did Ferb. He simply gave her hand a light squeeze before turning back to look out at the water. Isabella side-eyed him, memorizing his profile for a moment before looking down at the water below their feet.

Another wave swept across their toes and Isabella felt Ferb stiffen again. She squeezed his hand and gave him a questioning look. "Are you alright?" she asked.

He blinked at her, wondering what she meant. "I'm fine," he said in a questioning tone.

Isabella shook her head. "No, you get all… tense when the water touches you."

He blinked again. "Oh… No, I'm fine. I promise," he reassured with a smile. "The waves tickle."

Her eyes lit up. "Your feet are ticklish?"

Ferb smirked and pulled his feet further away from hers. "Not usually, but sometimes they can get that way."

Isabella pouted before kicking a foot out, trying to reach his. He pulled further away, dislodging his hand from her grip and tickling her sides. She squealed, clenching her stomach muscles trying to ward him off. He pushed closer; his left hand tickling her right side, his right at her left. She gripped his arms, trying half-heartedly to push him away as she squirmed in place.

Then Ferb's fingers slowed their attack, his hands spreading flat on her waist. Isabella turned her face towards him, realizing at that moment they were nearly nose-to-nose, and her breath hitched. She felt his fingers press softly against her, not tickling her this time, but as if he was restraining himself. She stared into his eyes and swallowed, deciding to take a leap herself.

She lightly trailed both of her hands over his shoulders, and she could see him tremble. His eyes darkened, boring deep into her own, as her hands rested, one where his neck met his shoulder, the fingers of her other hand brushing against his rough chin. She shot a quick glance down at his mouth for a moment before returning to look into his eyes, searching for something in their depths.

She found what she was looking for and leaned in, her hand grazing his jawline to behind his ears as she touched her lips to his. His short hair was soft under her fingers, and her other hand gripped the neck of his shirt. As their mouths moved against one another's, Ferb's hands moved—one going down finding the belt loop on her shorts at her hip, the other wrapping around to her middle back, pressing gently on her spine.

His hold was good, but Isabella had the feeling that he wasn't all that experienced (not that she was either, but it wasn't her first kiss…). He copied her movements, the various nips and licks she tried, without deepening the kiss into a full-on make out. It was as if he was unsure, and she very much hoped she could help him find that confidence through lots and lots of practice.

After one–two–three more kisses, they separated from each other. They didn't move far, their foreheads and noses were still touching, and they were sharing each other's air. Isabella blinked a few times, allowing her mind to settle after being sent on that whirlwind. She glanced up at Ferb, noting that his eyes were still closed and his cheeks were a lovely shade of pink. She pulled her hand back from behind his head, caressing his face softly.

Ferb's eyes opened and she felt her stomach flip as she sank into the abyss that was his ocean-blue eyes. How was it possible that someone could have that exact shade? As much as she wanted to lean back in and do that again (and again and again), Isabella instead brushed her nose against his playfully before pulling further away from him. Her hands slipped off of his face and shoulder at the same time his left her back and hip. Almost as if magnetically attracted to one another, their closest hands met as they returned to their former positions—sitting on the dock next to each other, feet dangling in the water.

Nixe

With many different names, including Nix, Näcken, and Nokk, the Nixie are humanoid shapeshifting water spirits from Germanic mythology. They were common to the stories of all Germanic peoples, but best known from Scandinavian folklore. The German Nix and his Scandinavian counterparts were male, while the German Nixe was a female river mermaid.

In Scandinavia, the male water spirits would play enchanted songs on the violin, luring women and children towards them to drown in the lakes or streams. Not all were malevolent, however, with many stories telling that at least those known as the nøkker were entirely harmless and would attract not just women and children, but men as well to listen to their sweet songs.